Kenku spellcasters?

[RossN]

I've been toying with running a 5e campaign with a pseudo-Japanese feel and I'm probably going to make Kenku a PC race; they are close to human level, have an East Asian feel and I like their background and design. However I have a question about their voices. Given they can only repeat words and noises through mimicry, could a Kenku become a spellcaster? I'm thinking Sorcerors might be possible since that is 'internal' but what about the other spellcasting classes?

[Coyote81]

I actually cracked myself up with this one. Yes a lot of spells have verbal components, but what ever says what the verbal component has to be. What if Kenku spellcaster used the same verbal command every time, like Alakazam, or something more Kenku like, and the somatic and material components actually determined what they cast. It would make since to me and still be funny has hell in my head.

[Joe the Rat]

Wizardry is fine. Their restriction is on speaking, not knowing languages.

Their mimicry ability allows them to replicate sounds. I've used this to have them act as 5-second recorders to deliver messages in the voice of the sender. There's no reason they couldn't mimic the sounds of the verbal components they were taught with the somatic/material aspects. This means that in order to learn a spell, they would have to listen to someone casting that spell at least once. (The added spells per level may simply be a matter of them mastering the other elements to go with the Verbal component they already know).

This also gives a clue to where Kenku learn their magic - based on the voice of the teacher (or the original teacher, if they are taught by other Kenku).

Or you could give them another mode of "Verbal" for Kenku Magic - based on music or animal calls or come sort of Cosmic Sound Principle (Aum).

[Daishain]

I always thought that feature was ridiculous. An intelligent and language capable creature that can mimick sounds perfectly should be quite capable of formulating intelligible words on their own. Hell, they should have a head start on being the world's best linguists.

[RossN]

I always thought that feature was ridiculous. An intelligent and language capable creature that can mimick sounds perfectly should be quite capable of formulating intelligible words on their own. Hell, they should have a head start on being the world's best linguists.

It is strange I admit but I'd be loathe to drop it entirely since it gives Kenku a distinctive character, along with their mourning for their lost wings. Maybe it is a magical effect, part of the same punishment that lost them their wings?

[Tenmujiin]

The actual words spoken are explicitly stated to be unimportant for spellcasting. What matters is how you say the words.


It is strange I admit but I'd be loathe to drop it entirely since it gives Kenku a distinctive character, along with their mourning for their lost wings. Maybe it is a magical effect, part of the same punishment that lost them their wings?

Yea, I always figured it was part of their curse.

[eastmabl]

Take a look at the Midgard Heroes pdf if you want some ready-made stats for kenku. The class in question is tengu, which is almost the exact same thing.

[RossN]

Take a look at the Midgard Heroes pdf if you want some ready-made stats for kenku. The class in question is tengu, which is almost the exact same thing.

Thanks I'll check it out.

I see 'proper' Tengu with their wings and magic as inspiring both awe and envy in Kenku.

[Shining Wrath]

I always thought that feature was ridiculous. An intelligent and language capable creature that can mimick sounds perfectly should be quite capable of formulating intelligible words on their own. Hell, they should have a head start on being the world's best linguists.

Kenku were cursed by some powerful magic user for some egregious offense. Their speech abilities make about as much sense as the owlbear, i.e., A Wizard Did It.

The Actor feat, and the new Mastermind Rogue Archetype, also grant the ability to mimic voices. DM musing: should I give a character with either feat(ure) the ability to learn languages more rapidly?

[Maxilian]

Kenku were cursed by some powerful magic user for some egregious offense. Their speech abilities make about as much sense as the owlbear, i.e., A Wizard Did It.

The Actor feat, and the new Mastermind Rogue Archetype, also grant the ability to mimic voices. DM musing: should I give a character with either feat(ure) the ability to learn languages more rapidly?

Yeah, but he would need someone else who knows the language (or at least hear someone else speaking it)

[Inevitability]

I'd imagine the kenku using real simple verbal components (maybe a single spoken phrase for every spell, or just a screech) but incredibly complicated and graceful somatic components.

[Capac Amaru]

I've been wanting to play a Kenku Death-domain cleric for ages, who speaks entirely in memorized sermon quotes and aphorisms.

[Shaofoo]

I imagine Kenkus to be like those Youtube sentence mixers, spend enough time with a person and then you can say whatever you want in his voice.

So eventually a well traveled Kenku will not be restricted into only repeating what he has heard but being able to mix them to be able to communicate.